Posted on 08/18/2004 7:11:16 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Republicans continue to press Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry to release his attendance records from his tenure on the Senate Intelligence Committee. Television ads that began airing Monday call into question the Massachusetts Democrat's commitment to reforming America's intelligence community.
Kerry served on the panel from 1993 to 2000 and according to official records missed 76 percent of the public committee hearings during that time. During his eight years of service on the committee there were 49 open, public hearings. Of these 49, Kerry attended just 11. Among the most notable of those he missed is the June 8, 2000, hearing on the report of the National Commission on Terrorism, which warned about the terrorist threat faced by the United States and recommended numerous steps to address that threat.
In 1994, the year following the first terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, Kerry missed every committee hearing, including a hearing on the report of the Joint Security Commission.
The report warned in part, "The bombing of the World Trade Center and the assassination of two CIA employees in Virginia heightened our sensitivity to the fact that terrorist activities against Americans can occur domestically as well as abroad."
Not included in the attendance figures is Kerry's presence at closed-door meetings. Those records could only be released to the public with the senator's permission. Republicans in Congress are challenging Kerry to make a full disclosure of his attendance records for his tenure on the committee.
On Sunday's "Meet The Press," Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS), Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said that both Kerry and Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) should allow the release of their attendance records.
He said, "The easiest way out of this is for John Kerry and John Edwards to request of Senator Rockefeller and myself to release the attendance hearings -- not only the public hearings, which they have rebutted, but the closed hearings."
Sen. John Warner (R-VA), another member of the committee, said that Kerry should simply release the attendance records if he disputes the Bush-Cheney ad.
"So I would go to what is solid, incontrovertible fact, and that is the records that each committee keeps with regard to the attendance at every hearing of all the members, whether they're there or not," Warner told CNN. "Now, those records are available. John Kerry, if he questions the authenticity of this ad that's out there now, should simply get those records and put them into the public domain."
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) added his voice to the controversy when he issued a similar challenge.
"So I would like to call on Senator Edwards and Senator Kerry today to publicly release their attendance records at the private, or classified, hearing on the intelligence committee so the American people can really know the truth," Cornyn said.
Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), also a member of the committee, said, "The fact of the matter is, even though he claims to have gained a lot of that expertise by serving on the senate intelligence committee, during his eight years of service on the intelligence committee there were forty-nine public hearings held by the intelligence committee, and John Kerry was absent from thirty-eight of those forty-nine hearings."
He added, "That does not include the classified hearings. ... And I would hope that he would agree to release to you the record of his attendance at meetings and hearings of the Senate Intelligence committee over the last year and a half, or his total service on that committee."
Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) also called on his Senate colleague to disclose his attendance records.
"The other illustration of lack of leadership with regard to this issue is the question of the intelligence," Kyl said. "And since I served on the Intelligence Committee with Senator Kerry for eight years I believe, I call for him to disclose his attendance at the briefings and hearings of the Intelligence Committee. The classified briefings and hearings of course are not on our public record, but he could make his attendance public."
Kyl continued, "John Edwards was on the committee and came on later, and he missed half of the public hearings as well. But I think that they should both disclose their record of attendance in the Intelligence Committee."
House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) also weighed in.
He said, "This is something that needs to be done, and I join Senator Roberts, Senator Chambliss, Senator Cornyn and others in calling on him to do so, so that the American people can judge the whole picture for themselves."
Kerry's pathetic attendance must have been common knowledge to the GOP all along - this means they know exactly what the records of private intelligence meeting attendance shows, and it must be damning. I know that a lot of people, including me, have the perception that all Senators miss a lot of these committee meetings, however, it seems Kerry's attendance record is much worse than the average Senator. Not the kind of record to run for President on.
If you ask me, this record is the most negative issue of all.
I wonder why this is not public information already? He is suppose to be accountable to the people for his job.
"I am sure he had a good excuse for not showing up for work... "
He was in Cambodia.
Meanwhile, Sen John McCain said it was dishonorable and dishonest to call Kerry's attendance into question....
It appears this faker has never worked for anything - and now we're talking about national security.
He dabbles at things, like 4 months in Vietnam, etc.
>>>I suspect that the Republicans who are on the committee and are calling for Kerry and Edwards to release the attendance records know exactly what they would show.<<<
Sorry cat lovers, but there is always more than one way to skin a cat.
It seems to me that if Kerry refuses to release his attendance records, those who where at those meetings could release theirs and simply state...... Kerry = absent, or present. The tally would be the same and without Kerry's lame excuses.
We should expand this issue into "Why the hell are we paying this Multi-Millionaire a six figure salary for a job he's not been doing for years"??
Bump!
You assume that he even wants the responibility that goes with public office. He just wants the title, as a trophy, as proof of his importance, not to help run and support the USA. It is all about John SKerry.
Hanoi john can point his finger and mess with marines in Wendys, so now its time for him to make his work record public. After all he is a public employee.
It certainly strikes at the importance of what we're facing with terrorism.
Kerry drones on about how Bush has led us into a war and how he doesn't have a plan, etc, etc.
Kerry doesn't have the background to make any comments.
He's an empty suit.
Great points!
This may be even more damaging than the Swift Boat controversy.
The record of votes missed, meetings missed, they can all be made into a clear, easy to understand graph.
AWOL Senator indeed.
I am actually starting to believe it. Kerry is toast.
Not to be too critical, but just how long have your been following polictics in this country?
It seems to me that the weekend before the last Presidential elections something was said about about a 20 year old DUI, and cause quite a fuss across this country.
Truth is, 72 to 80 before the election is win really shocking news is brought out. Enough time to make a splash, but not enough time to respond to.
BTTT
Haven't you learned anything from the documents leaking in the Senate? As soon as there is a leak of Dimocrat stuff, the issue becomes the leaking, not the stuff that was leaked.
No leaks. Increase the pressure on Team Kerry to release the records. All of his records.
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